Original Gold Digger Song: Track Identity and Release Facts
The original Gold Digger is a hip-hop track by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, released as part of the album Late Registration in 2005. The song samples I Got a Woman by Ray Charles and was produced by Kanye West and Jon Brion. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for multiple weeks, according to Billboard chart archives Billboard Hot 100 archives.
Late Registration, the album containing Gold Digger, was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. The track is credited to Kanye West and Jamie Foxx as lead performers, with songwriting contributions from Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, and others, including the writers of the sampled Ray Charles composition. The official release is widely identified by its explicit title and featured artist credit across digital music platforms Apple Music Gold Digger track page.
Chart Performance, Awards, and Commercial Metrics
Gold Digger reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped charts in several international markets, including the UK Singles Chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single multi-platinum based on combined sales and streaming equivalent units. Industry reports note that the track became one of the best-selling digital singles of its release cycle RIAA Gold & Platinum database.
The song received nominations and wins at major award ceremonies, including Grammy nominations for its production and performance categories. Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) and Luminate data show sustained radio airplay and streaming volume over multiple years. As of the latest public reports, Gold Digger remains among the highest-streaming tracks from Kanye West's discography on major platforms Luminate music data.
Rights Holders, Publishers, and Royalty Administration
Publishing rights for Gold Digger are administered by a combination of music publishers affiliated with Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, and the estate of Ray Charles for the sampled composition. Mechanical royalties are collected by the Harry Fox Agency and similar mechanical rights organizations in the United States and internationally. Performance royalties are tracked by performing rights organizations such as ASCAP and BMI ASCAP repertoire search.
Record label royalties for Gold Digger flow through Def Jam Recordings and its parent company Universal Music Group. Digital service providers such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music report streaming data to rights holders based on contractual terms. The song's continued presence on curated playlists and algorithmic recommendations drives ongoing royalty distributions to the credited rights holders and performers Spotify artist page for Kanye West.